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Thread: Just bought a '11 M3; did I make a major mistake?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Sammamish, WA
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    11 M3

    Just bought a '11 M3; did I make a major mistake?

    I LOVE this car but hearing all of the angst around rod bearings and throttle actuators (that one doesn't bother me as much) has me thinking I leaped before looking. This is my daily driver; the good news is that I work my own schedule so it's not like I'm sitting in traffic 2 hours a day. Please make me feel better...........

    I am the 2nd owner and it has 71k miles on it.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Miami, fl.
    Posts
    367
    My Cars
    2001 330i, 1997 M3
    Just do your bearings as a maintenance item to be safe . Mine went out at 65k mikes. I haven’t has problems with the actuators.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    25,402
    My Cars
    F90 M5; E36 M3 Turbo
    If you are a worrier or would not want to spend $10k to $25k to change the motor, then spend $500 to $2500 replacing the rod bearings. Price range is DIY parts only to shop parts and labor.

    TA are $350 rebuilt or $600 new each parts only, plus 2-3 hours labor. Wait until you get failure codes,then replace both.

    Great cars bought my 2008 used in 2011. Changed the rod bearings myself in 2014 when the extended warranty expired.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    22,823
    My Cars
    skateboard
    Quote Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
    If you are a worrier or would not want to spend $10k to $25k to change the motor, then spend $500 to $2500 replacing the rod bearings. Price range is DIY parts only to shop parts and labor.

    TA are $350 rebuilt or $600 new each parts only, plus 2-3 hours labor. Wait until you get failure codes,then replace both.

    Great cars bought my 2008 used in 2011. Changed the rod bearings myself in 2014 when the extended warranty expired.
    I think an e90, or an f80 in my near future
    “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
    ― George Orwell

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    25,402
    My Cars
    F90 M5; E36 M3 Turbo
    A 100k mile E9xM3 for $20-25k seems like a great value when 100k mile E46M3 are $15-20k and 100k mile E36M3 are $15k. If I had more to spend and wanted a newer car under original or extended warranty, I’d look at the F80M3. I might also look at abluxury cruiser like an E63 AMG BiTurbo S, which are easily tuned to 600 rwhp and have AWD to put the power down. I can’t buy what I really want yet, a 991TT, and my E90M3 is doing fine so I’ll drive it in the meantime and maybe put a supercharger on it next year to help keep it entertaining.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Redmond, OR
    Posts
    111
    My Cars
    96 328IS, 08 IB E92 M3
    Realize I'm bumping an old thread here... BUT I agree with pbonsalb, I wanted to S/C mine too, but am bored with the stock power level as well. It's not the S65's fault... The power is just so linear, and torque curve so late, that it doesn't FEEL fast, but it's pretty quick in it's own right. These S65's are EXPENSIVE to add power to.. I'm considering putting mine up for sale in favor of a C6 Z06.
    Anthony Bartolini
    Loki Motorsports
    -2008 A30 E92 M3 6MT-
    -1996 328is Drift Car-
    Stock Internal M52
    M50 Manifold
    PTE 6262, ARP's, .140 MLS
    OBX T4 Top Mount
    Tial 44mm MVR
    Tial Q 50mm
    Open Dump Love <3

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    25,402
    My Cars
    F90 M5; E36 M3 Turbo
    The E9xM3 is a great car, but the power delivery is exciting only if you drive it from 6000-8500 rpm. I have a turbo E36 also and it is exciting all the time. No turbo kit for the E9xM3 and the rods would not take the torque. They are expensive to mod, but the car will wake up noticeably if you add a pulley, intake, x-pipe, tune and Euro MDM. I got all that used for about $1500 over time and a friend coded the MDM after I installed the correct used SZL module/switchgear on the steering column. I feel like it is OK now but I’d be happier with a supercharger on it. Probably $8k used with new tune.

    I raced a C6 ZO6 a few years ago from about 70-130 and it spanked me hard. I knew that would happen and wished I was in my turbo E36 instead. The ZO6 has the kind of torque the turbo E36 has but right off idle rather than at 3500 rpm. Can’t blame you for thinking of changing. I am not a Corvette person though I like the looks of the C7. I want AWD in my next high power car so I can put the power down more of the time. In NH we have rain and snow and cold weather so RWD with R compounds work only in summer.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Redmond, OR
    Posts
    111
    My Cars
    96 328IS, 08 IB E92 M3
    Definitely a great car. I Love it to death. Just bored with the power. It's probably my favorite engine of all time... 8200 RPM V8? Yes please.

    I too have raced a few vettes. A standard LS3 C6 was a good race. I had cat delete, remote cutouts, and a BPM tune. C6 had ARH LT's and Corsa exhaust. Basically door to door until about 110, then he pulled away slightly.
    I also raced a C6Z (Heads/Cam/Intake/Exhaust) (605 WHP) ... got spanked as well. Horribly. lol I've always loved the C6 body style. I've never been a huge Corvette fan either, but there's something about a nasty cammed LS motor that makes me "happy".

    They're a great bang for the buck too... 460-ish WHP stock from a C6Z, another 6K in mods and you can be in the 610-650 WHP range all on the motor. That's insane.
    Anthony Bartolini
    Loki Motorsports
    -2008 A30 E92 M3 6MT-
    -1996 328is Drift Car-
    Stock Internal M52
    M50 Manifold
    PTE 6262, ARP's, .140 MLS
    OBX T4 Top Mount
    Tial 44mm MVR
    Tial Q 50mm
    Open Dump Love <3

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    California
    Posts
    17
    My Cars
    03 E39 540i MSport 6spd
    M3 is the gentlemen’s race car... I wouldn’t compare it to a Vette. Just a different animal in so many ways.

    There is no way I would ever trade in my M3 for a Vette. Just saying.

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